Residents voice concerns over coffee with officials

Sunday

Mar 1, 2009 at 3:15 AM

By GEOFF CUNNINGHAM Jr.gcunninghamfosters.com

DOVER — An informal "Coffee with the Mayor" event at a local cafe got testy on Saturday when a couple of city residents expressed their displeasure with the amount of public input allowed at City Council meetings and work sessions.

The discussion at Cafe on the Corner on Central Avenue saw no shortage of input when Mayor Scott Myers opened the floor to all topics ranging from road conditions and sidewalk shoveling to taxes and the use of city funds.

Coffee with the Mayor is intended to allow taxpayers to sit down and chat with city leaders, but Saturday's affair took on the atmosphere of a town meeting with a mixture of heated debate and laughs from approximately 25 attending city residents.

Myers often had to act as a moderator as a crowded room of differing personalities discussed a variety of issues and locked horns regarding their trust of the town's governing bodies.

One topic receiving considerable discussion was some people's opinion that city meetings offer inadequate opportunity for residents to express their views and ideas.

Edward Bleiler repeatedly raised his hand and challenged Myers on a policy that allows residents to have five minutes each to speak on issues during the public comment portions of City Council meetings.

Bleiler wore a hat that read "I am trying to survive Dover" and pressed attending city leaders to change the policy and allow more generous amounts of time for public input.

"Give it a whirl ... you might like it. You might learn something," Bleiler said.

Myers and some other city residents defended the current policy noting that people do have the opportunity for input, but that elected officials are voted in to make the decisions and can be ousted if they aren't supported by constituents.

Glenn Grasso challenged Bleiler throughout Saturday's meeting, noting that older residents need to accept they must pay taxes to support the schools and city infrastructure improvements. He expressed concern that some residents might want to micromanage city affairs in the interest of simply cutting costs at the expense of crucial services.

"This is representative government. People elect officials to look at the issues and make decisions," Grasso said.

Grasso later went on to note his frustration with those only focused on cutting budgets.

"I don't want to live in a town that's in a constant race to the bottom," Grasso said.

City Councilor Karen Weston expressed concern that not enough people are allowed to voice their concerns because the city has no means for them to do so anonymously. She said input will be crucial on what is expected to be a tough budget year.

Some residents balked at her comments, saying people should stand up at meetings and make their identity and voice heard if they want changes or have suggestions.

School Board Member Dorothea Hooper expressed frustration that she receives only a handful of opinions on school matters whose tax implications and services involve more than 20,000 city residents.

"You have people who want to speak ... I can't get anyone to talk," Hooper said as the crowd let out laughter.

Saturday's session involved discussion of where city officials are directing revenues generated from Comcast — the region's cable television provider — and talk of road conditions and usage of city buildings.

Although no decisions were made and many disagreed with each other's stance on issues, more than one person said they appreciate the chance to sit down and talk shop about the city.

Robert Fisher said he likes the lively discussions.

Hooper called Coffee with the Mayor a "healthy" exercise in sharing opinions.